HURON — In the last action taken by the Huron City Commission on Monday night, the commission unanimously approved the auction of a 40-acre parcel of land located North and East of Huron on the section bordered by 204th St. and 402nd Ave.

The land was previously known as the North Gravel Pit. It was released by the South Dakota Board of Minerals and Environment last year. Commissioner Shawn Harvey relayed that the road to the property is significantly overgrown and will need work done to access the property.

The auction was set for Oct. 30 in the commission room at City Hall. Meyer Auction Service will conduct the auction.

The meeting opened with a reminder during public forum from Commissioner Rich Bragg to the public to ensure that all information on water billing is up to date. With the new meters that were installed in the past year, leaks can be detected by water usage remotely, but city staff have found some accounts with phone numbers that are no longer in use when attempting to contact.

As part of the consent agenda, the commission approved a ribbon cutting on Oct. 25 for Dakota Avenue. Mayor Mark Robish emphasized that the work on Dakota will not be done, and parts of the road that are being worked on in 2024 will not be complete on that day, but the ribbon-cutting is symbolic as part of the street will be reopened.

Assistant engineer Dennis Bennett presented a change order on the lift station at 20th St. and Ohio Ave. due to additional work needed for that project. The commission approved a change order in the amount of $3,751.92.

Bennett also presented a pay request to TLC Olson Construction LLC for lift station improvements in the amount of $223,684.49. This was approved.

Commissioners also:
• Approved the part-time employment of Elizabeth Pollock as library clerk, effective Oct. 7.
• Accepted the voluntary retirement/resignation of Mike Struble as volunteer firefighter, effective Sept. 24. Mayor Robish expressed his thanks to Struble for his years of service.

• Approved a raffle during Ringneck Festival.
• Approved second reading of Ordinance 2264-30-246 for annual appropriation.
• Approved Parks and Recreation Director Chad Schroder to apply for the Community Forrest Grant to replace trees in Memorial Park.

The commission adjourned the public meeting and closed the meeting with an executive session regarding negotiations.

The full video of the meeting is available on the City of Huron YouTube site.